Wire-basket-fabric-making machine.



V. D. MUNGER.

WIRE BASKET FABRIC MAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1910.

V.'D. MUNGER. WIRE BASKET FABRIC MAKING: MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILED JULY27, 1910. 1,024,143. Patsnted Apr. 23, 1912.

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Witnesses ventor,

Attorneys v LUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cm, WASHINGTON D c APPLICATION FILED JULY 27,1910.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

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i on- WIRE-BASKET-FABRIG-MAKING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

Application filed J'u1y 27, 1910. Serial No. 574,161.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VERNON D. MUNGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Masillon, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful ire Basket Fabric Making Machine of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in machines for making wire baskets, especially of the type where there are provided top and bottom and if preferred, intermediate circumferential strands with connecting strands extending between the top and bottom strands in substantially straight lines aside from the general curvature of the side walls of baskets so made, and it is the object of the present invention to provide a machine which shall continuously weave or form a wire fabric made up of continuous strands in spaced relation with connecting cross strands closely adjacent and at or near the ends encircling the first named strands to firmly unite therewith.

In accordance with the present invention those strands which ultimately constitute the top and bottom members of the completed baskets are fed continuously in spaced relation from a suitable supply while the other strands which may be of lighter gage are fed successively into position and their ends or the portions adjacent to the first named strands are moved in a direction to cause an encircling helix where the finer gage strands are united to the top and bottom strands of the finished basket.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following description taken in'connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying the present invention with certain parts broken away to display more remote parts. Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional view of the twisting heads. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the machine of Fig. 1 with some parts in section. Fig. 4 is a section on the line A-B of Fig. 3, but drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a detail View of a portion of the fabric formed by themachine.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a suitable framework 1 carrying the mechanisms making up the machine.

Near the bottom of the frame work there is journaled a shaft 2 constituting the main shaft of the machine and in the present construction extending from the front toward the rear. This shaft carries a'gear wheel 3 in mesh with a pinion 4 on a counter-shaft 5 journaled in the framework 1 and carrying belt pulleys 6 which may be of the usual tight and loose type and these pulleys are connected by a belt 7 to another pulley 8 on a shaft 9 journaled on top the frame 1 and receiving power from any suitable source not shown.

At the front of the frame there are provided two spaced tubular shafts 10, 11 journaled to the frame so as to rotate on vertical axes. Each shaft 10 and 11 terminates at the lower end in a twisting head 12 best shown in Fig. 2. The internal bore of the shafts 10 and 11 is sufiicient to accommodate a wire strand 13 of a gage appropriat for the top and bottom members of a finished basket.

The basket which may be constructed from the fabric woven by the machine of this invention is shown generally in U. S. Patent No. 586,349., granted to Andrew J. Munger on July 13, 1897. In such basket the strands 13 form the top and bottom circumferential members of the finished basket while the sides are formed of other strands indicated at 14 in Fig. 2, which last named strands maybe of lighter gage and their ends or portions adjacent to th ends where meeting the strands 13 are twisted helically thereabout as indicated at 15, 16 respectively in Fig. 2. Helices 15 and 16 serve to space the strands 14 one from the other and since the top of the basket is usually of greater diameter than the bottom the helices 15 are made somewhat longer than the helices 16, and furthermore the strands 1 1 may be extended beyond the helices 16 as indicated at 17, to form the bottom of the basket as shown in the aforesaid Letters Patent. The helics 15 and 16 serve not only as spacing members for the strands 14 but also serve to unite these strands firmly to the circumferential strands 13.

The shafts 10 and 11 are connected by a yoke 18 flanked by collars 19 on each shaft so that the two shafts 10 and 11 may be moved longitudinally without interference with their rotative movement. These shafts 10 and 11 pass through respective pinions 20 and 21 mounted between respective bearing plates 22, 23, so that they will not participate in the longitudinal movement of the shafts 10 and 11. may be coupled together for simultaneous movement in opposite directions by other gear wheels 24, 25, and the latter is carried by a shaft 26 journaled in the plate 23 and carrying above the same a gear wheel 27 in mesh with another gear wheel 28 on a shaft 29 extending upward from the plate 23 above the frame 1 where it carries a bevel pinion 30 in turn in mesh with a bevel gear wheel 31 on a shaft 32 journaled on the frame 1 and extending from front to rear of the same and beyond the rear end of the frame 1. The end of the shaft 32 at the rear of the frame 1 carries a spider 33 shown in the particular illustration of the drawings as a four arm spider, and beyond this spider the shaft carries a rock arm 34 loose on said shaft and provided wit-h a latch 35 capable of engaging any one of the arms of the spider 33. The arm 34 is connected by a link or rod 36 to a crank 37 on the rear end of the shaft 2.

Above thehollow shafts 10 and 11 there are provided guides 38 for the respective wire strands 13 and these guides are mounted upon a suitable frame or bracket 39 erected on the frame 1.

Mounted in the frame 1 at an appropriate point are arms 40 underriding the yoke 18 and there is also another arm 41 having its free end passed through an eye 42 on the under side of the yoke 18 and urged constantly downward by a spring 43 connected at one end to the arm 41, and at the other end to an appropriate fixed portion of the frame 1. The arms 40 are engaged by a cross piece 44 controlled by a reciprocatory rod 45 mounted in the frame 1 and at its lower end bearing on a lever 46 in the path of a cam 47 on the shaft 2 so that each time the shaft 2 is rotated the rod 45 will be elevated and with it the arms 42 will also be elevated raising the shafts 10 and 11 against the action of the spring 43, which latter when the cam 47 has passed from under the head 46 will lower the shafts 10 and 11 to the initial position, the rate of lowering being determined by the shape of the cam 47.

At an appropriate height on the frame 1 at the front thereof is an outstanding bracket or support 48, and above this bracket is a trough or receptacle 49 designed to receive a supply of the strands 14. Mounted in suitable bearings fast on the frame 1 is a shaft 50 carrying two spaced disks 51 each formed with a circumferential series of notches 52 in the periphery. This shaft also carries a ratchet wheel 53 engaged by a pawl 54 on one end of a slide 55 mounted on a bracket 56 supported by The pinions 20, 21'

that at the will of an operator the shafts 10 and 11 may be elevated irrespective of the actuating mechanism of the machine. Located also at the front of the machine is another lever 61 which may be utilized for actuating a belt shifter for the belt 7 whereby power may be applied to or cut off from the operating parts of the machine at the will of an operator.

At an appropriate point in the path of the strands 14 after being connected to the strands 13 are dies 63 carried by the frame 1. Coacting with these dies are bosses 64 on the end of a lever 65 pivoted in the bracket 48 and at the lower end engaging a cam groove 66 in a cam 67 mounted on the shaft 2.

Let it be assumed that the machine is in operation and that there is an appropriate supply of the strands 13 extending through the shafts 10 and 11 and that there is an appropriate supply of strands 14 in the receptacle 49. An attendant places the strands 14 in the notches 52 in the disks 51 and these disks are carried step by step rotatively by the action of the cam 58 upon the slide 55 acting through the pawl 54 and ratchet wheel 53. The relation of the parts is such that the strands 14 are carried by the disks 51 into operative relation to the heads 12 of the shafts 10 and 11, guide brackets 68 appropriately supported adjacent to the disk 51 prevent-ing the strands 14 from dropping out of the notches 52 before they reach operative relation with the strands 13. Each head 12 of the shafts 10 and 11 is provided with a pin 69 held in place by a set screw 70 and projecting in the direct-ion of the longitudinal axis of the respective shafts but disposed eccentrically thereto.

Just prior to the deposition of a strand 14 against the strands 13 where projecting from the lower ends of the shafts 10 and 11, these shafts are raised and at the same time are given a rotative movement so that a strand previously deposited has the portions adjacent the strands 13 engaged by the pins 69 and the projecting portions of these strands outside the strands 13 are wound helically about the latter to form the helices 15 and 16. By properly timing the movements of the parts the helices 15 and 16 are produced upon the strands and then the finished helices as well as the strands 13 are moved downward by the downward movement of the shafts 10 and 11 and on the next upward movement of these shafts a strand let is deposited and caught by the pins 69 and new helices 15 and 16 are formed, the number of revolutions of the shafts 10 and 11 and the upward movement of the shafts being proportional to the length of the helices 15 and 16 respectively. There is thereby produced a fabric having edge members composed of the two spaced strands 13 and connecting members composed of the shorter strands 14L transverse thereto with one end wound into the helices 15, and adjacent the other end wound upon the other strand 13 in the form of the helices 16 with projecting ends 17 designed to ultimately constitute the bottom of the basket, although these latter extensions 17 may be omitted and the basket bottom be otherwise formed. Each time the shaft 2 rotates the arm 34 is rocked by the crank 37 and the latch 35 engages one of the arms of the spider 33 and causes a quarter rotation of the shaft 32 this being suflicient to impart through the gearing connections the proper rotative movement to the shafts 10 and 11. Each time the shaft 2 rotates the lever 65 is rocked upon its mounting and the boss 64 is forced into the die 63 engaging the strands 1 1 and this lever 65 is so formed at the end carrying the bosses 64 that two indentations are formed in each length of strand 14, these indentations being designed to ultimately receive circumferential strands which may be secured to the strands 14: in any appropriate manner, the purpose of these extra strands being to add rigidity to the sides of the completed basket.

The action of the machine is entirely automatic except that an attendant must place the strands 14 in the notches 52 of the disks 51. At any time should it be so desired the shafts 10 and 11 may be lifted by depressing the foot end of the lever 60. At any time should the operator so desire the machine may be stopped or started by a proper manipulation of the lever 61 controlling the belt 7 What is claimed is 1. In a machine of the class described, means for holding wire strands in spaced relation one to the other, means for applying other wire strands transversely to the first-named strands, means for twisting the end portions of the second-named strands helically about the first-named strands, and means for forming the helical winding on one of the first-named strands of a length in excess of the winding on the other strand.

2. In a machine of the class described, means for holding wire strands in spaced relation one to the other, means for applying other wire strands transversely to the first-named strands, a plurality of twister heads, for twisting the end portions of the second-named strands helically about the first-named strands, said heads being driven at different speeds to produce a winding on one of the first-mentioned strands of a length in excess of the winding on the other of said firstanentioned strands.

3. In a machine of the class described, means for holding a plurality of longitudinally disposed wire strands in spaced relation one to the other, means for applying other wire strands transversely to the firstnamecl strands, and means for twisting the end portions of said transverse strands on said longitudinal strands to radially dispose said transverse strands from one of said longitudinal strands.

1. In a machine of the class described, longitudinally movable rotatable hollow shafts terminating in twisting heads, and connections for driving said shafts at different speeds one with relation to the other.

5. In a machine of the class described, longitudinally movable rotatable hollow shafts terminating in twisting heads, and means for delivering wire "strands transversely to the longitudinal axes of the shafts in step-by-step order and in timed relation to the longitudinal and rotative movements of the shafts.

6. In a machine of the class described, hollow wire-receiving and guiding shafts each terminating in a twisting head having wire-engaging means projecting in the di rection of the longitudinal axes of the shafts and disposed eccentrically thereto, means for imparting intermittent rotative movement to the shafts, means for imparting intermittent longitudinal movement to the shafts in timed relation to the rotative movement thereof, and a step-bystep carrier for wire strands delivering the latter to the twisting heads in timed relation to the rotative and longitudinal movements of the shafts.

7. In a machine of the class described, hollow wire-receiving and guiding shafts each terminating in a twisting head having wire-engaging means projecting in the direction of the longitudinal axes of the shafts and disposed eccentrically thereto, means for imparting intermittent rotative movement to the shafts, means for imparting intermittent longitudinal movement to the shafts in timed relation to the rotative movement thereof, and a step-by-step carrier for wire strands delivering the latter to the twisting heads in timed relation to the rotative and longitudinal movements of the shafts and comprising spaced rotatable carriers each provided with a circumferential series of wire receptacles, and impelling means for the carrier moving the same step-by-step in timed relation to the movement of the shafts.

8. In a machine of the class described, means for holding wire strands in spaced relation one to the other, means for applying other wire strands transversely to the In testimony that I claim the foregoing as first-named strands, means for twisting the my own, I have hereto affixed my signature second-named strands helically about the in the presence of two Witnesses. first-named strands Where engaging the lat- VERNON D. MUNGER. ter, and means for indenting the second- WVitnesses:

named strands subsequent to the securing LOYD S. LONG,

of the same to the first-named strands. JULIUS A. HORN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). G. 

